Oakland Opera Theater

1, Jazz at Pearl’s
Let’s kick off this list with some terrific news: Jazz at Pearl’s is still open for business. The popular North Beach club, which was originally scheduled to close at the end of April, has a full plate of cool shows this month. The best of the lot, quite likely, is vocalist Kim Nalley’s tribute to Nina Simone, which goes down each Tuesday in May. Details: Jazz at Pearl’s, 256 Columbus Ave., San Francisco; showtimes and prices vary depending on act; 415-291-8255, www.jazzatpearls.com.

2, Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. They called him “Shoeless” because . . . oh, wait, wrong Joe Jackson. This one is the guy who recorded that catchy “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” tune. He’s pretty great, too _ especially in concert. Details: 8 p.m., Saturday, Fox Theatre, 2215 Broadway, Redwood City; $45-$65; 650-369-4119, www.foxdream.com.

3, What Happens in Vegas
I’ve had some crazy nights in Sin City _ none of which, unfortunately, resulted in me waking up next to Cameron Diaz in the morning. My “next-morning” experiences have had more to do with crying over ATM receipts. Oh well, I’ll just have to live vicariously through Ashton Kutcher’s character in this film. Details: Opens today at Bay Area theaters.

4, Rick Ellis Sings Sinatra
Looking for a perfect Mother’s Day outing? Take mom to see this local Sinatra impersonator, who reportedly does a great job handling those Ol’ Blue Eyes classics. Plus, admission is free _ which means you’ll have the dough to buy mom flowers. Details: MomDay in the Plaza, 2-4 p.m., Sunday, Todos Santos Plaza, Concord; 707-869-9403, www.communityconcerts.com.

5, Hot Tuna
If you don’t know Jack (Casady, that is), then you don’t know one of the best bassists of the last 40 years. This “San Francisco Sound” pioneer came to fame as a member of Jefferson Airplane in the ’60s, but he’s done some of his finest work with guitarist (and fellow Airplane vet) Jorma Kaukonen in the group Hot Tuna. Details: 9 p.m., Thursday-May 16, Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell St., San Francisco; $30; 415-885-0750, www.gamh.com.

Step into any jazz club, from Yoshiâ€™s in Oakland to the Blue Note in Tokyo, and thereâ€™s a decent chance that youâ€™ll hear a Duke Ellington tune being performed.

Both young lions and seasoned jazz cats continue to draw from the mighty songbook of this fabled musician (who died on May 24, 1974) and still manage to find beauty and power in such compositions as â€œMood Indigo” and â€œIt Donâ€™t Mean a Thing (If It Ainâ€™t Got That Swing).â€

While his best-known songs remain staples of the jazz repertoire, Ellingtonâ€™s one opera, â€œQueenie Pie,â€ hasnâ€™t gotten much attention. The Oakland Opera Theater, however, is planning to change that.